Partick Thistle FC engages with Strathclyde Business School students
Strathclyde Business School is delighted to be working with Partick Thistle Football Club across a number of classes.
The football club reached out to the business school in order to work with our students on a number of projects, with the aim of getting ideas to support the development and success of the club. They are also looking to attract more fans to Firhill so getting students engaged and knowledgeable about the club is a bonus.
At undergraduate level, the club is supporting the Management Development Programme over the course of the academic year. They are also working with Honours year students on a 'Strategy Making for Social Impact' class where they have set the students challenges to work on through semester one, with the students heading at the end of the year to Firhill to present their final work.
The club has also acted as a client for the 'Consulting in Practice' module for our postgraduate MBM and MIM students, where they presented a strategic issue for the students to solve.
And for the MBA cohort they acted as a client for the 'Consulting Impact Challenge' module, presenting the students with a challenge of how to increase fan attendance at Firhill stadium. The students had a very short intensive time period of just two days to come up with initial ideas, with the team from Partick Thistle presenting to the students in the business school and the students travelling to Firhill to present just a few days later.
The new full-time MBA students worked with the club to develop ideas and then they presented their final recommendations and initiatives to members of Partick Thistle club and the Jags Foundation, including the general manager of the club and the chairman of the board, alongside other directors from the Club and Foundation.
The MBA students also got a tour of the stadium and free tickets to the game the following Saturday to get the full experience of what the club is all about.
A spokesperson from Partick Thistle FC said, "The decision to approach Strathclyde Business School was borne out of a joint initiative by both the Partick Thistle Board and the majority owner The Jags Foundation.
"Both parties recognised that this new business model of fan ownership would not only be a prime source of potential case study material but also an opportunity to develop a deeper and longer term relationship with the university that could ultimately lead to a new generation of Partick Thistle fans.
"So far we have been blown away by the response from the undergraduate and MBA classes as they have kicked off the initial exercises in this exciting new relationship and, in addition, we have had over 1000 students attending their first ever Thistle games, utilising the unique half price offer that has been made to them."
Strathclyde Business School's Dr Marisa Smith said, "Partick Thistle are well known for their community based work and their focus on socially progressive initiatives which aligns well with the university's values. Partick Thistle acted as a live 'in action' case study for our students, giving them relevant, hands on, practical experience in dealing with complex business challenges. Working with a football club like Partick Thistle allows our students to understand that history, place and purpose are key aspects of business. The collaboration with Partick Thistle supports our active learning and authentic assessment approach to learning enhancement and student experience."
Published: 1 November 2024
